Three men have been cleared of an alleged bid to break into a Canberra sex offender's home armed with a knife after they saw video of the man sexually abusing an underage girl.
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Paul Arthur Palmer, 39, Daniel James Nicholas, 32, and Joshua Darcy Watson, 33, shook hands and embraced on Friday after an ACT Supreme Court jury found each not guilty of attempted aggravated burglary after a day-and-a-half of deliberations.
Prosecutors had argued the men had not been "stopping by to borrow a cup of sugar" or "politely knocking on the door for a chat" when they showed up at the 62-year-old man's house the morning of February 20.
The alleged victim had shed tears before he gave evidence he woke to a man with a knife and a piece of wire at the lock as he used his shoulder to force open the door.
He said he heard more noises and saw another two men at the back door before he hid upstairs and called police.
Police said they arrested the three men after officers saw them flee the sex offender's home about 7am.
The trial heard Mr Palmer had a video on his phone the sex offender had filmed of himself molesting a girl, 14, and said he felt frustrated police hadn't acted on it.
Mr Palmer told police, in a recorded interview played to the jury, he went to the man's home only to bang on the door and show him he had the video.
An officer asked if he wanted to threaten man, to which Mr Palmer said: "Not threaten him, educate him."
Prosecutor Rebecca Christensen argued the men tried to force their way into the house with the intent to hurt or threaten the man.
She said the Crown did not say the men should not feel upset, angry, or even livid about the sex offender's acts, and those feelings explained their actions. However, she said no type of vigilante justice was acceptable under law.
Barristers for the three men pointed to inconsistencies in the alleged victim's account, and told the jury a close look at the evidence would raise doubts.
They had questioned how minor damage to the door could show a serious attempt to enter the home, and noted the man never told the triple-0 operator about a knife. One barrister suggested the alleged victim had embellished his account of the incident.
Justice Michael Elkaim thanked the jury members for their service on Friday.
Mr Watson walked free, while Mr Palmer and Mr Nicholas remain in custody.
